Engineers are professionals who apply scientific, technical, and mathematical knowledge to solve problems. Depending upon their specific field, they may be responsible for analyzing, building, designing, or even coding. They work on complex systems, structures, devices, and materials, and in the years that asbestos was most frequently used, this exposed many engineers to the risk of mesothelioma, asbestosis, asbestos-related lung cancer, and other serious illnesses.
How Do Engineers Get Exposed to Asbestos?
Engineers are at high risk of occupational exposure to asbestos because the industries in which they work made such extensive use of the carcinogenic material. This is particularly true of industrial and civil engineers who work in construction and industrial settings. From nuclear power plants to chemical production factories, from the aerospace industry to automotive, engineers encounter asbestos in industrial, commercial, and business environments as well as in nature.
Engineers are exposed to asbestos from machines and engines, electrical wiring, and insulation. Though most engineers’ exposure occurred in the years when asbestos was used regularly, the carcinogenic material remains in many materials, pieces of equipment, and environments where engineers work today, leading to a continuing risk of illness.
To understand how engineers get exposed to asbestos, it is helpful to be familiar with the diverse industries they work in and asbestos-containing materials and products they work with. Engineering specialties that expose those in the field to asbestos include:
- Aerospace engineers – Asbestos was found in insulation and gaskets used in planes and spacecraft to prevent fires. Electrical panels and wiring on aircraft also contained asbestos
- Agricultural engineers – Asbestos was used in machine components, building components, and electrical wiring
- Chemical engineers – Asbestos was found in safety gear, laboratory countertops, and lab ovens
- Civil engineers – Work on projects building tunnels, bridges, sewer systems, airports, roadways, and bridges. Many of these projects relied on asbestos-containing materials, including insulation, tiling, piping, electrical equipment, and cement.
- Construction engineers – Asbestos was found in adhesives, sealants, tapes, pipe coatings, thermal insulation, wiring insulation, cement, floor tiles, roofing material, and siding
- Electrical engineers – Asbestos was used in electrical wiring
- Environmental engineers – At risk of exposure from job sites that contain naturally occurring asbestos
- Fire protection engineers – At risk of exposure from asbestos-containing materials in fireproofing applications
- Geological engineers – Asbestos in mines
- Hydraulic engineers – Asbestos in cement pipes, gaskets, and packings
- Industrial engineers – Installing or inspecting machinery or electrical systems that contain asbestos
- Manufacturing engineers – Machinery containing asbestos and factory settings
- Marine engineers – Asbestos was used throughout ship construction, including insulation, gaskets, pipes, and machinery
- Mechanical engineers – Machinery that contains asbestos parts
- Mining engineers – Asbestos in mines
- Nuclear engineers – Asbestos was used in many parts of power plants, including pipes, electrical equipment, and pumps
- Petroleum engineers – Oil refining and petrochemical industries used asbestos extensively, with the highest exposures during equipment repair and maintenance.
- Power plant engineers – Asbestos was used in many parts of power plants, including pipes, electrical equipment, and pumps
- Railway systems engineers – Railway system asbestos exposure comes from gaskets, machine components, electrical wiring, and insulation.
- Textile engineers – Asbestos fibers were used to create certain types of fabrics.
- Utility engineers – Exposure to asbestos in machine components, including the parts and insulation of generators, turbines, and boilers, electrical wiring insulation, and thermal insulation
What Asbestos-containing Products Were Engineers Exposed to On the Job?
Engineers are exposed to asbestos in many products. The products that an individual engineer is exposed to will depend upon their field of specialty but may include:
- Adhesives
- Boilers
- Ceiling and floor tiles
- Cement
- Construction materials
- Electrical equipment
- Electrical wiring
- Flame-resistant materials
- Gaskets
- Heat shields
- Industrial products
- Insulation
- Joint compounds
- Machinery
- Packing
- Piping
- Plastics
- Popcorn ceilings
- Protective equipment
- Roofing materials
- Sealants
- Siding
- Textiles
- Wallboard
What Companies Made Products that Engineers Were Exposed to On the Job?
There are hundreds of companies whose products contained asbestos that engineers were exposed to on the job. Many of these companies were aware of the dangers of asbestos but chose to keep the information quiet in order to continue earning profits from sales of the inexpensive material.
- A.O. Smith Corporation
- A.W. Chesterton Co.
- Ameraflex Rubber & Gasket Company, Inc.
- American Biltrite
- Armstrong International, Inc.
- Aurora Pump Company
- BMI Refractory Services, Inc.
- Briggs & Stratton Corporation
- Caterpillar, Inc.
- Chem-Flow Corporation
- Chevron USA, Inc.
- Ciba Specialty Chemical Corp.
- Citgo Petroleum Corporation
- Combustion Engineering
- Cooper Industries, Inc.
- Crown Cork & Seal Company
- ConocoPhillips Petroleum
- Deere & Company
- Emerson Electric Company
- Fairbanks Morse Engine
- Ford Motor Company
- General Electric Company
- Garlock Sealing Technologies
- Goodall Rubber Company
- Honeywell International
- Johns Manville
- Lamons Gasket Company
- Marathon Ashland Petroleum
- Mead
- North American Refractories Company
- Peerless Industries, Inc.
- Pittsburgh Metals Purifying Division of Treesdale, Inc.
- Plastics Engineering Company
- Premier Refractories
- Railroad Friction Products Corp.
- Resco Holdings, LLC
- Schneider Electric USA, Inc.
- Stockholm Valves and Fittings, Inc.
- Sunoco, Inc.
- Standco Industries
- Texaco, Inc.
- The Dow Chemical Corporation
- U.S. Steel
- Union Carbide Corporation
- Wyeth Holdings Corp.
- York-Shipley Global
Are Engineers Still at Risk of Asbestos Exposure?
Though most of the risk posed to engineers occurred during the years when asbestos was most frequently in use, there is a significant amount of asbestos that was installed in pipes, structures, and equipment between the 1930s and 1980s that is still in place and continues to pose a risk. Though asbestos is not considered dangerous when it is undisturbed and encapsulated, once it begins to deteriorate or is damaged as a result of renovations, demolition, or even repairs and maintenance, it can become airborne. Once this happens, it is easily inhaled and can begin causing cellular damage within the lining of the pleural and peritoneal cavities.
Research Linking Engineering to Mesothelioma and Other Asbestos-Related Diseases
It is well known that asbestos exposure is directly linked to malignant mesothelioma, asbestosis, and other asbestos-related diseases. Many of these diseases do not begin to show symptoms until decades after exposure because asbestos-related diseases tend to have long latency periods. The deadly fibers that become embedded in the cells of the lining of the pleural or peritoneal cavity cause cell death, inflammation, and mutations that form scarring or tumors that grow slowly at first, then aggressively years later, often leading to significant pain, disability, and death.
There have been several studies that have demonstrated the significant risk of asbestos exposure and subsequent diagnosis of asbestos-related diseases suffered by engineers. These include:
- In 1988, Canadian researchers wrote a case study of a nuclear engineer diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma following bystander exposure to asbestos. The patient had been employed for 27 years as a research nuclear engineer engaged in the design and development of nuclear reactors. Though he did not work directly with asbestos, it was discovered that the sodium-cooled reactors that he worked on were insulated with asbestos, including molded pipe coverings, asbestos valve packing, and powdered asbestos that was made into “mud” for repairing damaged insulation. One coworker reported having sawed asbestos insulation, creating substantial quantities of dust in the man’s presence.[1]
- In 1997, researchers from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health conducted a study assessing the relationship between high asbestos-exposure occupations and the occurrence of gastrointestinal cancers, including peritoneal mesothelioma. Among the occupations that they found at high risk were mechanical, electrical, and electronic engineers.[2]
- A 2016 study of the incidence of mesothelioma in Sweden decades after asbestos use was banned found that mechanical engineers were among those at the highest risk of peritoneal and pleural cancer following occupational exposure to asbestos.[3]
Engineers Involved in Asbestos Lawsuits
Many engineers diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases after occupational exposure to asbestos have filed personal injury lawsuits against the companies responsible for exposing them to the carcinogenic material. Some notable claims and jury awards include:
- Roseann Donovan was awarded $18 million by a jury in Broward County, Florida, following the malignant pleural mesothelioma death of her husband Michael. Mr. Donovan had been an engineer in the Royal Fleet Auxiliary during the 1970s and 1980s and was exposed to asbestos-contaminated products manufactured by American companies and used in the ships he was responsible for rebuilding, repairing, and maintaining.
- Dr. James L. Gaddy was a chemical engineer for Ethyl Corporation. He died of malignant mesothelioma after having worked in two areas of the company’s chemical plant that were heavily contaminated with asbestos; one contained hundreds of feet of asbestos insulation, and the other put him close to an area where sodium cells insulated with asbestos were maintained. His family was awarded $3 million in compensation after his death.
- Wayne Meissner was exposed to asbestos while working as a civil engineer at Kodak Park, serving as a monitor and inspector on an asbestos spray job. A New York jury awarded the man, who was diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma $8 million in damages.
- A Dallas jury awarded $8.8 million to the survivors of Billy Dickson, a mechanical engineer at Bell Helicopter Textron, Inc., who died of malignant mesothelioma after having worked at the company for 38 years. The jury heard that Mr. Dickson was exposed to asbestos in amounts 200 times greater than is considered permissible by government safety standards.[4]
Help for Engineers Exposed to Asbestos
If you worked as an engineer or are a family member of an engineer who brought asbestos into your homeon their hair, skin, or clothing, you are at risk for asbestos-related diseases. Even if you feel healthy, it’s a good idea for you to familiarize yourself with the warning signs of asbestos-related diseases and contact your healthcare professional so that they can add your history of exposure to your medical records. The more they know, the more quickly they can accurately diagnose the symptoms of the rare diseases and begin implementing a treatment plan.
If you’ve been diagnosed with mesothelioma or another asbestos-related disease, you do have legal options. A mesothelioma lawyer can provide you with the information and guidance you need to make the best decision for you and your family. You may choose to file a personal injury lawsuit against the asbestos companies responsible for your exposure: these claims often result in either a settlement or significant compensation awarded by juries. You may also be eligible to file a claim with an asbestos trust fund set up by an asbestos company that went bankrupt after facing asbestos liabilities.
If you are a veteran who worked as an engineer during your military service, you may also be able to file a claim for VA disability benefits and medical treatment. An asbestos attorney can explain all of these options, how the process works, what to expect, and more.
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